Guilt And Redemption In The Kite Runner

As we delve under the surface of The Kite Runner we begin to retain a deeper understanding of what this tragically beautiful novel is really about, and the main idea that Khaled Hosseini wants the readers to discern. This novel is centered around guilt and redemption. The main character, a boy named Amir, is plagued by guilt at a young age in such an immense way that it influences his every thought and action for the next thirty years of his life. Despite leaving his past behind and moving from Kabul, Afghanistan to the United States, getting married, going to college, and creating a whole new life for himself, Amir is unable to free himself from his guilt. Through the protagonist and structure of his novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini is promoting the idea that guilt is not something that can be escaped nor pushed away, but rather, something that …show more content…
With everyday that the once loving Hassan becomes more distant, quiet, sick, and depressed, Amir becomes paranoid and crazed to the point where he has to “[bolt] to the bathroom and [vomit] in the sink” whenever he becomes “overcome with… guilt” (Hosseini 32). Amir never looks his guilt in the face nor attempts to redeem himself in an honest and upfront matter, which, in Khaled Hosseini’s mind, is really the only way to redeem oneself. Instead, he screams at Hassan to hurt him, and “give [him] the punishment [he] craved, so maybe [he would] finally sleep at night” (92). Amir tries to rid himself of his guilt by trying to make Hassan feel guilty about something too, allowing him to take comfort in knowing that him and Hassan are “even” so that he can forget about what he has done and move on (101). Throughout the novel, Amir constantly struggles with his guilt and tries to not think about it, but the guilt will not go away because he needs to confront and acknowledge his guilt, rather than